


First Impressions

by FlameShe



Series: Office AU [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2015-02-09
Packaged: 2018-03-11 06:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3318230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlameShe/pseuds/FlameShe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin’s a pretty decent consultant, but she’ll need to hone all her skills—and then some—to handle Ylisse Enterprise’s HR Director.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Impressions

"I'm _so_ sorry," She'd sputtered the apology a handful of times now; Chrom insisted that it was _just fine_ , that despite it being her first day he'd let it slide.

"I know my sister will let it go, she's just like that," He said this almost dismissively with a distant look in his eyes, that warm, charismatic smile twitching. The slightest change in his demeanor; Robin nearly missed it. "Frederick however— _well_ you'll meet him soon enough. He's off on his lunch break. A bit of a hard ass, but he means well."

Robin nodded, listening carefully as Chrom explained the basics, releasing an inward sigh of relief. Her first day at a new job and she'd overslept of all things. It was painfully typical for her. She'd rushed out of her house, hair a mess, no makeup. Robin looked simply dreadful, and she'd thought it an abnormal miracle that she'd managed to find a parking spot moments after she'd pulled in. The singular blessing in her tizzy of a morning and she decided she'd take it as a good sign.

"I think that's all you need to know for the moment," He glanced at his watch. "And _I've_ got a meeting to attend," A pause as he looked up past Robin's tangled ponytail. "Frederick, you're just in time!"

 _The hard ass, huh?_ Robin swallowed and put on her brightest smile, pearly whites and all, before running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to tame-the-beast. It was a desperate and fruitless effort.

"Is this the new consultant? She's late," Hard ass' voice was surprisingly deep, a pleasant rumble laced with less-than-pleasant curtness. _Ah, well, can't win them all._ She mused. It wasn't as though his displeasure was misplaced. Her disheveled appearance, the fact she overslept. Quite the first impression.

"She apologized for it a thousand times over, Frederick, honestly. Emm will let it go," Chrom stressed that last bit as he patted Frederick on the shoulder.

"A lovely first impression nevertheless," He added tersely. Was he reading her thoughts? "Robin, am I correct?"

"Ah—yes, pleased to meet you," She offered a hand, hoping to make amends. For a terrifying moment she thought he might refuse as those brown eyes (almost the same shade as his hair, and warm despite his pinched brow) gazed down at her proffered hand. Her fingers brushed against a slightly calloused palm however, and a tepid smile curled over her lips. She decided then that she would take this as a good sign as well.

Chrom watched on with mild amusement as the two exchanged a handshake, grateful that Robin had already managed to liven things up. She didn't appear to be the most gathered person, but if her resume was anything to go by he was positive she'd do the company well. _And maybe Frederick, too._

* * *

Frederick wasn't—by any means—a confrontational person. Blunt, certainly. Working for Chrom and his family dictated that that be a necessity. Frederick kept things organized and under control, he dealt with the staff and made sure everyone was managing their jobs at top capacity. He wasn't lenient, but he wasn't unkind. He enjoyed his work; in a way it was the most important aspect of his life. As things stood, there was little else of value within his day to day activities. This day, however, had fallen from the norm.

After dealing with a plethora of problems in the morning hours, he'd returned from his lunch break to see that  _someone_ had parked in his spot. And on a whim—a foolish, childish whim—he'd parked behind them, blocking them in. Curiosity and frustrations left from a difficult day at work was all that kept him seated there lying in wait, and a part of him couldn't help but think if not for the new consultant (the consultant with surprisingly soft hands and a knack for directing the flow of a risky business deal) his day would have gone swimmingly.

The other part of him, the less wary and exhausted part, realized that if not for her expertise Chrom would have taken a not so pleasant dive with the company that very afternoon. 

 _She seems to have done well by us already. If Chrom trusts her, I see no reason to doubt her._ Emmeryn's words hung in his head and he released a sigh. Perhaps... he'd give her the benefit of the doubt.  

* * *

Robin couldn't contain her smile. The sky stretched above her head; dark and vast. The stars were difficult to make out in the city, marred by the street lamps and tall buildings. A longing stirred inside of her for her mother and the warmth they shared on chilly nights when the sky was clear. She'd spent many evenings curled next to her, a blanket wrapped around their shoulders, a gentle hum lulling her to sleep.  _I'm starting anew, mother._ Robin wondered if she was proud of her, looking down from wherever she was. Her chest felt tight then, and she gnawed on her lower lip, picking up the pace as if wanting to outrun her sudden state of melancholy.

"I thought this car might belong to you," The voice came as she was digging in her purse, on the hunt for her keys. She winced, teeth clamping down tighter.

"Frederick? Why are you..."  _Ah_. "Is this  _your_  car?" Hazel eyes narrowed pointedly. Frederick matched her gaze and she swallowed her bubbling aggravation. She'd clearly gotten on his bad side today, but blocking her in? That seemed a bit much for her running late.  _Well, Chrom did say he was a hard ass. Still_...

"It is. And this," He motioned with a hand to the place her car was stalled. "Is my parking place."

 _You've got to be kidding_. "I don't see your name written on it," She challenged. A childish comeback, but the comment left her lips before she could think of anything saucier. The corner of Frederick's mouth twitched; she wasn't sure if he wanted to frown or grin. Perhaps both.

"That's  _quite_ a statement coming from someone who managed to show up late to a new job on the very first day," He watched her carefully, face still as a rock. She guffawed (a sarcastic, sweet little sound that was exceptionally pleasant to his ears) and he suppressed a sigh.

Robin approached him then, and he only now took notice of how tangled her hair was, and how purely drained she appeared. He could make out bags under her eyes, made all the more apparent by the shadows stirred by the harsh light of the street lamps. His throat felt tight and he looked away, guilt racking him. No doubt the day had been just as trying for her as it had been for him.  _Likely more so, being thrown into a meeting on her first day and having to divert Chrom from a foolish decision_. He cleared his throat as he brought his gaze back to rest on her.

A smile curved over her lips and she shook her head, mess of a pony tail shaking with it. "This is silly," She chuckled, drawing her tongue over her lips. "Why don't we continue this over lunch? Tomorrow, my treat," Robin watched as his eyes widened at that, offering her a curved brow.

"That sounds... pleasant,"

"And I'll be sure not to park in your spot tomorrow," A wink—accompanied by another cavity inducing laugh—had Frederick's face feeling unusually warm.

"Even more so, then,"

"Good," Silence stretched between them as she studied his face (tipped her head to the side to do so), much as he'd studied hers moments ago. Frederick found himself wondering what she found there, and Robin answered him, voice low and playful, "You look like you could use a good rest, so... why don't we get going?"

A street light flickered, and a car crawled past the pair, somehow breaking Frederick from his reverie (god he'd been  _staring_ ). "I should say the same of you, Robin. My apologies for keeping you,"

"Apology accepted. Just don't forget about our lunch date!" 

How could he?

Complying with her offer, Frederick mumbled a low good night which she returned wholeheartedly with a wave of her hand before he slipped into his vehicle. He nodded at her as he pulled out, realizing despite his physical state of exhaustion he was more awake than he'd been in quite some time.

* * *

It wasn't until she was on the road that she put the situation to thought. Robin couldn't fight off the beam slowly encompassing her face, or the laughter she could feel building. Of all the things to do, she'd asked him to  _lunch_. She drew in a breath and let it slip between her lips, releasing all the stress that had been building over the day with it. 

_Quite the first impression indeed._


End file.
